Hello, I would like to apologize for the long post!

Okay so I'll start it off with what I have done to the truck so far. It is a 1998.5 2500 5-Speed 4x4 Cummins. A little under 900 maybe 1000 miles ago I have installed a new VP44, Airdog 100, OEM Cummins connector tubes, 7x.009 100hp injectors, and I also had to have my computer rebuilt because the throttle circuit was shorted out(I may also add that the truck used to prime for 3 seconds and it no longer does, I used to be able to access system function from a scanner and no longer can, The truck sounded ever so slightly different after I installed rebuilt ecm aswell). I have a few more things coming within the next 3 days including banjo washers for the bolt at the back of the head(I may also buy the Fuel Grommets at the return T soon aswell), BD Boost Fooler, and an Adjustable Turbo Elbow. There is also a programmer for sale that I may pick up aswell next week. But anyways now to my problem. I installed the new injection pump and airdog at the same time and then drove the truck for about 2 weeks and it sounded slightly different but ran fine.Then I decided to pull the trigger on some DFI 7x.009s . I installed them and the truck started up, smoke white for about 30-45 seconds and slowly went away and the "Air-Filled" idle started to go away too. The truck still had a rough idle after letting it sit for a while. So I got into contact with Chris and he sent another set out the next day. Boom the rough idle is gone. If I am in neutral and let the RPMs climb and then hold them at a certain spot the truck will shake quite a bit or whenever I accelerate hard the truck shakes quite a bit aswell. But the acceleration could be bad u-joint on front driveshaft maybe? If I give the truck more throttle there is an odd "miss" sound coming from the exhaust(not from the motor that I can hear anyways) The sound reminds me of an old non turbo 7.3. I ordered feeler guages and they will be here Monday and I will be adjusting my valves to see if that helps as they have never been adjust before. I know of two 2002 6-speed dodges that have 100hp and 150hp injectors and they do not sound like mine. Does anyone have an answer of how to fix it? I'm guessing maybe the tune in the computer is off and I just couldn't hear it with the smaller stock injectors or maybe the valves are opening slightly off and it is doing this or something? 

Man sparking batteries is never a good idea use a voltmeter. If the battery is truly dead try charging it don't rely on alternator to charge it. Or find a place where they can load tested it. It may have a dead cell.

I have to agree with @Dieselfuture on man sparking batteries. Shorting a battery is never good. Did you check the other end of the of the negative cable to be sure it was tight? The end away from the battery.

If you got one weak or damaged battery they should be replaced as a pair.

I can unhook just the passenger battery and I still have power. When I unhook the drivers batters I don't have power anymore. I didn't purposely spark it I just put the end on and t will spark and crackle as soon as you touch it to be battery. I didn't make it cause a big spark. So I know t has something to do with the connection from the passenger to driver battery or the ground wires. I've cleaned them all and the battery worked again for a little while but it started to this again. 

Also at low RPM right after I shift usually from 2nd to 3rd it is really noticeable it still sounds like it misses bit just got a few hundred RPMs and go away and then it doesn't usually come hack unless I slow down then have to gas it again

3 hours ago, Waydin_Stewart said:

 

I can unhook just the passenger battery and I still have power. When I unhook the drivers batters I don't have power anymore.

 

 

 

You need to replace all the main battery cables. I won't mess around with cleaning you've already proved the cables are weak at best. 

Is there anyway I test connection to find a bad one? Like test the passenger to drive positive cable on both ends and see if it has current? I don't want to go buy another cable if that wasn't my problem. OR maybe test the ground to see if they are bad? The batteries are good. Got them both same time. Also is there some kind of grease or something I can put on the posts to keep them from corroded? 

I few drops of motor oil on the posts works quite well. I will have to leave the electrical part to ones smarter than I. I do know if the one battery you are having trouble with has been drawn down very low to often it could easily be toast. Drawing them down like that is killer. Have you checked the battery to see if it has a charge?

Buying the batteries at the same time doesn't mean that one won't degrade quicker than the other and cause issues. If you haven't, might want to pull them and have them load tested. If that checks out good then you know it's your cables/grounds and if possible I'd just replace them all. I did mine not too long ago and it's really nice to have brand new cables and clean posts!

I have replaced the batteries very recent. December of last year. I have already convinced o'reileys to warranty two batteries in place of the passenger one. Believing it was the battery. The first warranty it was bad. The second one was to make sure it wasn't the battery. So would this narrow it down to a ground issue or a bad ground connection at the battery?

The is an article in the General Cummins Electrical section for voltage drop testing cables.

Is there a thread on adjusting valves on these trucks? I'm going to be adjusting mine in a little while if I can find a write up of which valves go TDC and BDC. I haven't really messed with the batteries. I will have to get around to doing that soon. I have been running new vacuum line throughout the whole truck and waiting on the feeler gauges to come and get free time. 

 

THANK YOU

Okay I have discovered another problem that might be the cause of the exhaust pop! I was going to adjust the valve in a little bit(about an hour) after the truck fully cools off and I read this writer up a few times through. I noticed this about a week ago it did it once and never did it again. Now if I start it up and then throttle it fully it will smoke black and then white at the end(the motor seems to "jerk" whenever the white smoke comes out). I know it is unburnt fuel so it has to do with the injectors but how would I go about diagnosing what exactly is happening! I am uploading a video right now to YouTube and I will share after it uploads. I still haven't messed with the batteries haha. I just get busy and forget since it starts up just fine during this warm weather(besides the white smoke in the video). Ill get to it eventually! Hopefully I can figure out this exhaust sound, Fix my exhaust leak, Re-Run my vacuum lines that I haven't redone yet, get new u-joints for front and rear drive-line. And then I can figure out which wire is bad and replace it on that passenger battery. Thank you everyone for helping!

 

Anyone?

It's hard for me to tell in those videos but it doesn't seem terrible, but not normal either. If you have known issues then I'd start there and once they're all fixed then I'd see how the trucks running and go from there.

If in doubt have a second shop test them out. Do not send them back to the shop that you bought them from. I typically take my injectors to local shop for testing to see what's going on then I can point fingers at someone for warranty work. Then also having a second shop prove there is an injector problem. The white smoke isn't normal. 

I just had foot surgery so Ill be down for a little while. After I'm healed up Ill take them out and have them tested by someone. Our local diesel shop charges and hours work time to test. Which is $300! But you gotta do what you gotta do I guess. I'm going to be purchasing a smarty and putting it on level 3 for advanced timing with boost fooling. I don't hot rod this truck so I think 3 is just fine for me. Ill get back to you with more info.

Whoa... Geez... The shop I deal with in Lewiston Idaho will pop test injectors for FREE! Now if you want them tuned they cost $15 an injector or $90 for all 6 to be retuned.

Edited April 14, 20178 yr by Mopar1973Man